James L. Nelson Wins Military Novel Award

Posted on June 25, 2004

James L. Nelson's book, Glory in the Name: A Novel of the Confederate Navy, published by HarperCollins is the winner of the W. Y. Boyd Literary Novel Award for Excellence in Military Fiction. The award is given to recognize the best military novel written in the year 2003. The W.Y. Boyd Award was presented Tuesday, June 29, during the American Library Association Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida in June.

The W.Y. Boyd Literary Novel Award honors the best fiction set in a period when the United States was at war. The $5,000 award and citation, donated by author W.Y. Boyd, recognizes the service of American veterans and military personnel and encourages the writing and publishing of outstanding war-related fiction.

Glory in the Name: A Novel of the Confederate Navy portrays the Confederate navy during the Civil War. "Like the American Revolution, the naval action of the Civil War largely is overshadowed by the fighting that took place on land," said Nelson. "In part that is because, like the Revolution, the Civil War was a very lopsided contest in terms of naval strength. Still, the Confederacy was able to do some astounding things with what they had, and there were some very interesting contests for control of the water, mostly harbors and rivers, since the Union pretty much had a lock on the open ocean. Adding to the picture was the emergence of steam, iron plating and shell guns to naval warfare. It was an extraordinary period, and the huge advances made in fighting at sea are testimony to the unique American genius for invention, North and South."

Bernard Cornwell, author of the Richard Sharpe military fiction series, spoke favorably about the book. "It is, by far, the best Civil War novel I've read; reeking of battle, duty, heroism and tragedy. It's a triumph of imagination and good, taut writing."

Nelson is a former professional sailor. He lives with his wife Lisa and three children in Maine. His latest novel Reign of Iron, the Story of the First Battling Ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack is his first work of nonfiction.